Illinois Car and Truck Accident Lawyer Blog

As a personal injury lawyer in Chicago with car and truck accident experience, I am disturbed by the following story, especially in light of the lack of transparency. I further believe that victims of negligence should not be forced to pay for emergency response, especially when the responders are not needed or called by the victim.

Christopher Jensen reports for the New York Times, “about a year ago Cary Feldman was surprised to find himself sprawled on the pavement in an intersection in Chicago Heights, Ill., having been knocked off his motor scooter by the car behind him. Five months later he got another surprise: a bill from the fire department for responding to the scene of the accident.” (Wheels, 8/3). Mr. Feldman stated he had no idea why the fire truck came since he was not hurt badly and did not go to the hospital.

This scenario has become enmeshed in what appears to be “a nascent budget-balancing trend in municipal government: police and fire departments have begun to charge accident victims as a way to offset budget cuts.” Although ambulance charges are common and are usually paid by health insurance, fees for other responders are new. The fee for other responders, such as the one Mr. Feldman received, is “variously called a “crash tax” or “resource recovery,” depending on one’s point of view. In either case, motorists, even those who are innocent victims, are billed for services they may have thought were covered by taxpayers.”